Loganair pledges to resume Inverness flights after HIAL pay settlement

Loganair will resume flights from Inverness to HIAL airports a week earlier than anticipated following the resolution of recent pay disputes.

The airline suspended flights as unions at HIAL airports announced a period of industrial action short of a strike between 17 March and 30 April.

With work-to-rule plans eliminating the airline’s ability to coordinate its operations with confidence across March and April, flights from Inverness to Sumburgh via Kirkwall and between Inverness and Benbecula via Stornoway were withdrawn from service to give passengers certainty and time to make alternative travel arrangements.

A new pay offer was made by HIAL on Friday, 10 March, and unions have today (21 March) confirmed this has been accepted by members.

The positive news allows Loganair to partially restore its services on affected flights from 24 April – one week earlier than initially scheduled.

A spokesperson for Loganair said:

“We are heartened and relieved to learn of the settlement of the pay dispute between Highlands & Islands Airports and unions representing many of its employees. 

With this news, we can all now focus on delivering a busy summer season ahead – the first full year of open international travel since the pandemic – without fear of rolling disruption to island flights from strikes and work-to-rule actions.  

We have reviewed all possibilities to restore suspended services between HIAL airports earlier than initially anticipated, and we are happy to confirm that flights from Inverness will resume on Monday, 24 April, one week earlier than previously planned.  

These will go on sale from Thursday, 23 March, via Loganair’s website and major booking systems.

In the meantime, Loganair continues to offer services on all other routes to Benbecula, Kirkwall, Stornoway and Sumburgh, including the inter-isles air service between Benbecula and Stornoway.”